Nicholas Movant's Canadian Pacific J.R Garden Revelstoke: Footprint, 1999
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Book Reviews IJJ Nicholas Movant's Canadian Pacific J.R Garden Revelstoke: Footprint, 1999. 455 pp. IUus. $89.95 cloth. By Wallace Chung Emeritus University of British Columbia ^k "TICHOLAS Movants Canadian Vancouver, though on a much grander I \y Pacificv by J.F. Garden, is a scale. Like a guidebook, it is divided .4. • magnificent book of photo into Eastern Lines and Western Lines, graphy that was first published in 1991. with the division at Current River just The present book is the fourth printing, east of Thunder Bay. Only forty-four and it was issued in 1999 as a special pages are devoted to the Eastern Lines, edition to commemorate the life and while 371 are devoted to the Western work of Morant, who died on 13 March Lines. Of the latter, 265 pages (two- 1999. thirds of the book) are concerned with Morant was a "special photographer" sites in British Columbia. The em for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), phasis on British Columbia is hardly and he was employed in the Department surprising. Where else in Canada of Public Relations from 1929 to 1981. could one find such awesome sights His employment spanned the tenure as the soaring peaks of the Rockies or of seven CPR presidents, from Sir such vivid changes of scenery between Edward Beatty to Ian Sinclair. Being summers and winters? Perhaps more a strong-willed individual, with good important, both Morant and Garden credentials as a photographic reporter, are natives of British Columbia. The he was able to extract from the com book, therefore, should have great pany privileges and freedom of activity appeal to British Columbians. that was granted to no other. In 1929, Besides being a talented photo Beatty needed someone like Morant grapher, Morant was also a per to strengthen his media battle with the fectionist. Everything had to be right. Canadian National Railways (CNR). Fortunately, this prerequisite was Morant's photographic duties covered aided by his uncanny ability to select the many and diverse activities of the the right time, place, and light for his CPR, but the book is predominantly photographs. Not only have some of concerned with his work along the his photographs become internationally tracks; that is, it is concerned with renowned, but many of the places that railway activities. he photographed have become famous. The book consists of 455 pages, with One such place was even named after the first thirty-four containing the him: Morant's Curve (20). One cold preface, introduction, and a brief de winter morning in 1976 he was driving scription of Morant's career. The bibli some guests along Highway iA be ography and glossary occupy the last tween Banff and Lake Louise. He six pages. The remaining 415 pages instinctively stopped at mile 113.o of almost follow the format of a cpR-an- the Laggan Subdivision, just as the notated guide, describing landmarks sun broke through the storm clouds. as the train travels from Montreal to The valley and the five snow-covered 134 BC STUDIES peaks in the background were then Stoney Creek Bridge. This photograph bathed in sunlight. A gentle mist was takes on special significance when we rising from the river. At that precise learn that this is a royal train en route to moment, the Canadian, with its Vancouver, carrying Princess Elizabeth gleaming aluminium body, emerged (the future queen) and Prince Philip from the mist, gracefully following the within its warm carriages. It is these gentle curve of the half-frozen Bow short anecdotes and descriptions that River. The ethereal effect of this world- I found most stimulating, for they en famous photograph probably could only ticed me to seek more information. be duplicated by computer-generated This book should appeal to a wide photo-animation. audience, including train lovers, photo Another landmark made famous by graphers, historians, tourists, and the Morant is the Stony Creek Bridge, an many thousands whose lives were engineering feat of massive curving directly or indirectly associated with steel arches (277). Here, Morant the CPR. The technical buff, seeing "a exercised his ingenuity by using his dramatic picture of G3b class 4-6-2 personally built scaffolding in order to No.2308 on a double-ended freight obtain the correct height and angle. coming around Jackfish Curve" (70), And here, in a famous locale, he was would want to look up Omer Lavallee's able to publicize the CPR'S supreme book Canadian Pacific Steam Locomotives achievement in railroad building and in order to obtain more detailed in to showcase any new rolling stock as formation about this steam train. it crossed over this imposing bridge. For the historian the book is a gold On the dust jacket, the publisher mine of information, and it encourages offers the hope that the book will be further research. Such research may, the finest produced on the CPR. If the for example, focus on an eccentric objective is for the reader to share and chairman or a special occasion (such enjoy Morant s wonderful photographs, as the visit of the king and queen in then what is achieved is way beyond 1939). Or it may focus on a special the book's stated goal. There are pages development that profoundly altered upon pages of magnificent photo the profile of the CPR, like the trans graphs, superbly reproduced. Many are formation of its motive power from in colour and many have never pre steam to diesel in the 1960s. In these viously been printed. Around them, pages we see the sad sight of hundreds Garden has cleverly interwoven per of sideUned steam locomotives, formerly tinent facts and interesting anecdotes. loyal work horses, rusting neglected in A picture may be worth a thousand railyards, waiting to be scrapped (84-7). words, but with the added description Scrapping proceeded rapidly in 1959, of time, place, and occasion, those when N.R. Crump, a strong advocate thousand words are magnified in of dieselization, became senior vice- meaning and significance. An example president. He, one may add, is not a of this is the picture on the title page. friend of those prairie residents who It depicts a cold, wintry day in 1951, mourn the passing of the steam train. with the entire landscape bathed in a Crump, astute and having a will of bluish hue that created a beautiful iron, became one of the CPR'S great scene. A Selkirk and a Royal Hudson, chairmen. He would never allow senti billowing steam into the frigid air, are mentality to interfere with the bottom pulling a train across the famous line. He was said to have answered his Book Reviews ij$ critics by saying: "When people talk much greater objective. It is a book that to me about the lonely cry of the steam gives us more than just enjoyment. By whistle in the middle of the night on using the medium of photography, a the prairie, I say bullshit!" medium whose truthfulness and ob The steam whistle has given way to jectivity would be difficult to surpass, the airhorn. The water tanks are all it documents the evolution of a great gone. The grain elevators, for decades Canadian enterprise - one that, for the trademark of the prairie landscape, over a century, pervaded every aspect are rapidly vanishing. Fortunately, all of Canadian life, be it economic, these important artefacts of our political, or social. This book helps to Canadian heritage are faithfully pre preserve part of a vanishing Canadian served in this book. heritage - the CPR steam trains that did Nicholas Movants Canadian Pacific is so much to unite and develop Canada an important addition to the historical as a nation. Our profound gratitude literature of the CPR and, indeed, of goes not only to Morant, but also to Canada. It advertises itself as a book Garden and all those dedicated indi of photographs - as a book to be shared viduals who helped to craft this and enjoyed. But, in fact, it achieves a wonderful work. The Forgotten Side of the Border: British Columbia's Elk Valley and Crowsnest Pass Wayne Norton and Naomi Miller, editors Kamloops: Plateau, 1998. 238 pp. Illus., map. $19.95 paper. By Keith Ralston Emeritus University of British Columbia ARLY writing of BC history Strangely enough, British Columbia arose out of the pride of local academic history has been a bit of a E residents in what they saw as "scholarly déficit" field. Many of those the accomplishments of the compar trained in provincial history departments atively short span of settler society. It re have sought their research topics in other flected mainstream British Columbians' specialties, while British Columbia has preoccupation with their own pro not had the influx of scholars from other vince and a traditional "million-mile s - areas and schools that has characterized, from-Ottawa" feeling (applicable also, say, the twentieth-century study of the on this marginal edge of European col Canadian Prairies. The result has been onization, to London and New York). a small number of academic historians With the rise of institutions like the confronting a dauntingly large en provincial library and archives and, deavour. later, the universities and colleges, Yet, in many respects, this picture scholarly insights have taken their is a lopsided one. British Columbians, place alongside popular history. as Margaret Ormsby, the doyenne of .